Daniels’s paintings from tin foil allude to notions of cultural worth and virtuality: their metallic sheen is reminiscent of religious paintings’ aureate devotion, and their flawless rendering draws from a tradition of hyper-realism set forth in ultra-modern scenes by artists such as Estes. “I like the value aspect of still lifes,†explains Daniels. “Still Life With Relief Chalice, Fruit and Glasses In A Stone Niche II looks like an expensive gold set up but is just silver foil. I think of it as an extension of the vanitas genre. It’s primarily about light – the colour is just coming from the reflections. Painting by its nature is just painting light, or perceptions of light falling on objects. In my work I try to take it a step further; they’re like ‘non-paintings’. It’s more about the perception of them, another layer of language.â€